How is "Us Weekly" Pronounced?

February 9, 2005 7:54 PM

A friend of ours reads Us Weekly (tabloid news magazine). That's not the problem, I like me some celebrity gossip as well. However, she pronounces it "You Ess Weekly" (ike U.S. News and World Report) vs "Us Weekly" (which I would assume from the spelling/punctuation). I figured this was an aberration, until I heard someone on TV using the same pronunciation. So - how is it actually pronounced? I'd like to keep laughing on the inside when she says it. Bonus points if you can tell me how to google for this - I'm stumped.
posted by true to grab bag (23 comments total)

An aquaintance of mine who works for them pronounces it "Us", not "You Ess".
posted by falconred at 8:01 PM on February 9, 2005

I've seen "U.S. Weekly" on the newstands. At least I think I did. If it was really "Us Weekly" I remember it wrong. Point being: Let it go. I mean, something like this shouldn't make you go all nukular or anything.
posted by Doohickie at 8:04 PM on February 9, 2005

Call Wenner Media and ask whoever answers the phone.

212-484-1616
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 8:10 PM on February 9, 2005

I think you have it right. I saw that on Dr. Phil today too, and was like - what a dumb ass. But then, I remembered that I was watching Dr. Phil, and, I mean, who am I to talk?
posted by Quartermass at 8:11 PM on February 9, 2005

I wasn't sure about this but the website confirms it's still spelt Us outside of the ambiguous logo.
posted by cillit bang at 8:24 PM on February 9, 2005

it's us as in "all of us"
posted by amberglow at 8:39 PM on February 9, 2005

cillit - that one's not affiliated with the magazine, try here.
posted by jheiz at 9:03 PM on February 9, 2005

Cute, their customer service line doesn't mention the company name. Go outsourcing.
posted by smackfu at 9:05 PM on February 9, 2005

And yeah, it's us.

And with us this morning, B.J. Sigesmund, he is a staff writer for "U.S. Weekly." Toure is a contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" magazine. And Andy Borowitz is a humorist and columnist with "The New Yorker."

Didn't you get -- I always say "U.S. Weekly," don't I?

B.J. SIGESMUND, "US WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: It's "US Weekly."

O'BRIEN: It's "US Weekly." OK, sorry.

SIGESMUND: OK.



(googled "us weekly" "it's us", which, while weird, still worked)
posted by jheiz at 9:06 PM on February 9, 2005

I always figured it was kind of poking fun at People Magazine, as in "you say you're about random People, well, we're about US."
posted by GaelFC at 9:22 PM on February 9, 2005

(jheiz, that's what I meant to type. me = douche)
posted by cillit bang at 10:00 PM on February 9, 2005

I guess I'm the dumbass here since I always thought it was U.S. Weekly.
posted by gyc at 10:34 PM on February 9, 2005

Their site sez:

For customer service write to:
Us Weekly, PO Box 8253

and

Editorial questions or comments should be sent to:
'Us' Letters, 1290 Avenue of the Americas

and

Please send donations to: Us Weekly Save the Children

and

Us Weekly repects your right to privacy so we protect it.

posted by NortonDC at 10:43 PM on February 9, 2005

It's both, as shown by the response here. If the ambiguity were a problem rather than a benefit, they'd emphasize one or the other, but they chose the ambiguous name for a reason. To most of their readers, "us" = "people of the United States." Whether they choose to emphasize the close and personal aspect (just us, just you and me) or grand and authoritative aspect (we speak about and for the US), it will produce a positive response in their readers.
posted by pracowity at 12:17 AM on February 10, 2005

I always thought this had to do with the Us Festival, which was some sort of para-musical happening in the early 80's in which Steve Wozniak was involved. There was some talk of the Us Generation or something, or else I'm off my rocker. Anyone remember this?
posted by ikkyu2 at 4:49 AM on February 10, 2005

There's no ambiguity, pracowity. Every official textual rendering seen puts it as "Us."
posted by NortonDC at 6:27 AM on February 10, 2005

The word "us" has officially lost all meaning for me.
posted by mfbridges at 7:49 AM on February 10, 2005

The proof is in the pudding. People frequently read it as "US."

The ambiguity is in the name: "Us" is a weird name to give a magazine, and people are used to seeing "US" at the beginning of titles, so it is often read "US."
posted by pracowity at 7:58 AM on February 10, 2005

There's nothing ambiguous about it. Big U, little S, no dots -- nobody abbreviates United States that way. TV announcers sometimes get it wrong because the scripts they're reading are all in uppercase.

I wonder if they had this problem before they became a weekly (back when they were just called "Us").
posted by jjg at 8:23 AM on February 10, 2005

You guys have made the front page of Gawker with this. Congrats.

Gawker
posted by spicynuts at 10:33 AM on February 10, 2005

Hehe. On reflection, it's kind of a gross name, "us", rymes with "puss".
posted by delmoi at 11:01 AM on February 10, 2005

And to think, I thought about not posting this question because it was too trivial. I won't make that mistake again.
posted by true at 12:04 PM on February 10, 2005

Actually, 'us' rhymes with 'pus', not 'puss' delmoi.
posted by graventy at 6:26 PM on February 10, 2005